Armor & Mobility

SEP-OCT 2016

Military magazines in the United States and Canada, covering Armor and Mobility, focuses on tactical vehicles, C4ISR, Special Operations Forces, latest soldier equipment, shelters, and key DoD programs

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From there, we'll ship it off to the appropriate depot for them," he
continued.
DLA Disposition Services will also send teams to installations if
necessary, but most stateside installations already have personnel
and facilities for property turn-ins and disposal.
The agency has already supported divestiture efforts for 3rd
Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood Texas, and 2nd Brigade,
1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas. Initial planning for
other units and installations is scheduled to take place through
December, and multiple visits will be made to some installations
to accommodate units' deployment and training schedules. Visits
included Fort Bragg, NC, and Fort Irwin, CA, this past July.
Equipment being turned in will range from common items like
tools, tents and generators to entire fleets. All light tactical vehicles
that aren't fully armored are being turned in, as well as some
versions of the mine-resistant, armored-protective vehicle, Arnold
said.
"Due to the rapid nature of how we procured MRAPs to keep
soldiers safe in combat, we ended up with several different
versions from numerous manufacturers. By streamlining the fleet
to particular models, the parts become standard and how the Army
fixes them becomes routine," he added.
Helping the service "clean the attic" gives DLA a unique
opportunity to mentor future logisticians and improve soldiers'
understanding of command supply discipline and maintenance.
"Our disposition and distribution folks on the ground are training,
mentoring and guiding troops through the process," Arnold said.
"Rather than tell a sergeant he didn't fill the form out right, our guys
are walking them through it so the property can be turned in."
The process is just as much about changing a culture as the
physical act of taking equipment off soldiers' hands, he added.
Soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan became accustomed to
having their equipment handed to them upon arrival in theater. That
resulted in a "rental-car mentality" in which soldiers lost the art of
logistics, Arnold said. Many are unfamiliar with forms required for
property turn-ins and which items must be demilitarized. To help
them, DLA created a "smart book" and a series of YouTube videos
that outline proper forms and steps of preparing equipment for
divestiture.
"There's a whole generation of officers and noncommissioned
officers that don't know the inherent responsibility in maintaining
and keeping accountability of all these fleets of equipment," Arnold
added. "One of our goals is to get that mindset back."
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www.tacticaldefensemedia.com September/October 2016 | Armor & Mobility | 37
LOGISTICS CORNER: DLA